


Trapped in the Vortex

by Rainboq



Series: Nice to Prompt You [9]
Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Fluff and Angst, Max is a wallflower, Vortex club party
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-27
Updated: 2020-09-27
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:34:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26681497
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainboq/pseuds/Rainboq
Summary: Max should never have agreed to come to this party.Prompt: Angst/Fluff 46: “Dance with me.”Ship: My choiceSuggester:Ghost_in_the_HellaPrompt list, pick a prompt and a ship, then drop it in my asks!
Relationships: Rachel Amber/Maxine "Max" Caulfield/Chloe Price
Series: Nice to Prompt You [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1926373
Comments: 12
Kudos: 49





	Trapped in the Vortex

Max hugged the wall like her life depended on it. Which it probably did, well her social life did at any rate.

Chloe had told her that she’d be back what felt like an eternity ago. She didn’t actually know, she’d stupidly left her phone in her purse. _Why did I think wearing a dress was a good idea?! I totally don’t have the body for it, and Chloe just showed up in her usual clothes. God I’m such an idiot._

Her head hurt from all the flashing lights and the pounding bass. No matter how many times she brought the solo cup of decidedly non-alcoholic punch to her lips, her mouth was always dry. She bit down on her chapped lower lip, the lipstick she had applied for whatever weird reason long since rubbed away by her nervous habit.

She wanted to go and try to find Chloe, but with all the flashing lights and bodies mashing together, she was more likely to get lost or get smacked in the face by an elbow than actually make any progress.

So, there she stands, trying to meld into the wall instead of just bolting from the party.

_God why does anyone even hang out with a loser like me? I can’t even handle one stupid Vortex club party._

From the corner of her eye she spotted the person she most dreaded encountering that evening. She immediately regretted not simply bolting for the safety of her dorm when their eyes met. First surprise was on Victoria’s face, then sheer contempt.

If her mouth had been dry before, it was a desert now.

She hoped Victoria couldn’t see her hands shaking as she approached.

“Who let you in?” She sneered; her words shouted over the thumping bass.

“S-Stella.” Max managed, quietly cursing the stutter.

Victoria rolled her eyes. “Of course. Is that really your excuse for a little black dress Maxine?”

Max tried not to shrink further back into the wall, but failed. “It’s Max.”

“ _What. Ever._ Do you seriously think you’ve got what it takes to step to the Vortex Club in _that_ dress with fucking sneakers?”

“H-hey! I like my shoes!”

“Where the hell did you get such ratty converse, the fucking thrift shop?”

Victoria was dead on, as ever. “No!”

“Oh right. I forgot. Lame-o hipster Caulfield probably got them when they first came out and can’t afford anything new.”

Max started desperately looking for an exit and Victoria leaned closer, her face the picture of aloof contempt as she continued. “Just like your fucking camera, god I can’t believe they let trash like you into this school. You’d think they’d give a scholarship to someone actually talented.”

The words cut deep and she shrank further into the wall, her breath starting to hitch and her chest starting to feel like it was being squeezed. If Victoria could tell what she was doing, she gave no indication. “Your idiot selfies and dumbass polaroids might have impressed Mrs. Chavez, but you’re nothing. No fucking way a little twee waif like you is going to make it in the art world.”

“V-Victoria… I…” Max reached a hand up to her chest, clutching at the fabric of her dress as she struggled to breath. Her vision started to narrow. Her thoughts raced. She knew the signs of a panic attack, she had them often enough. But between Victoria tearing her apart, the sounds, the crush of the crowd and the lights…

“V-V-V-Victoria. Fuck, you can’t even talk lamefield.” Victoria pressed closer; her face twisted in disgust.

“Victoria!”

A hand clamped over Max’s shoulder and tugged her away. Victoria wheeled, her face a mask of rage. “What do you want?”

“How about you stop fucking with my date?” Rachel spat back. “And have you never seen a fucking panic attack before?”

Victoria blanched a little before throwing her hands up in disgust. “Oh, fuck off Amber, you and your little harem are so fucking low!”

Rachel tugged Max behind her, and she sagged into the other woman, glad for the barrier and for the familiar face. “Get fucking lost Chase, go suck Hayden’s dick again.”

Victoria rolled her eyes before disappearing into the crowd.

Rachel turned to Max, a finger tilting her head up bun the chin. “You okay Max?”

Max shook her head, her vision starting to get spotty. “C-can’t… breathe…”

Rachel nodded and wrapped an arm around Max, expertly guiding her through the crowd until they crashed out a side door and into the cool evening air. Max sagged and nearly collapsed, but Rachel kept her upright. “I know I’m not Chloe, but I need you to breathe with me, okay?”

Max nodded and tried to sync herself up to Rachel’s breathing. It took a few fumbled tries, but eventually she was able to find her pace and steady herself.

The pair ended up sitting in the grass in the gloom of dusk, blissfully upwind from a nearby pack of smokers. Rachel rubbed at her back as Max leaned into her. “Thanks Rachel…”

“Don’t mention it. Sorry about being so late, I got really held up. Chloe sent me to find you as soon as I got through the doors, but David saw her and practically dragged her out before she could follow.”

Max winced, dreading the thought of Chloe showing up with red face the next day. Or worse, a black eye. “Fuck.”

“She’ll be okay, I saw the whole thing and Chloe is heading to the junkyard until we’re done here, then she’ll crash at my place.” Rachel assured her, a hand moving up to gently brush Max’s hair.

“Okay… I just wish we could get out of here already.”

“Soon, my little doe, soon. We’ll all get out of here.”

Rachel tilted her head up with a tender hand on her cheek and the two shared a gentle kiss. When Max pulled away, Rachel grinned at her. “Of course, we can just get out of here now, and have our own party in American Rust.”

Max felt her cheeks starting to redden and Rachel giggled softly before tussling her hair. “You are seriously too cute. I totally get why Chloe never shut up about you.”

“You’re just saying that,” Max halfheartedly protested.

“No way! You are hella cute, and that dress actually looks pretty good on you. Victoria’s just jealous because she’s not getting any sweet action from you.”

Max’s cheeks were definitely burning now and she gathered her knees in her arms. “A-are you cereal?!”

“Oh god, that bitch acts like a fucking toddler when she has a crush. Total mean girl and then she has no idea why they run away. Actually, you know what? Let’s show her up.”

“What?” Max squeaked.

Rachel’s grin turned devilish. “Dance with me.”

“What?” She repeated, eyes wide.

“You heard me Caulfield, let’s go shake that cute little ass.”

Before she could object, Rachel hauled her to her feet and she was led by the arm back into the party. Somehow, Rachel found an empty space in the chaos, or one was made for her, Max wasn’t sure which. She tried to imitate Rachel’s dance moves, throwing herself about in a tangle of poorly coordinated limbs that she was sure would turn anyone off.

Instead Rachel looked delighted and moved closer, letting her body rub up against Max in ways she had no idea how to handle. The past month with the two girls had definitely been a month of firsts for her, and this was another for the pile. Especially with the way Rachel was grinding up against her.

Before her face could catch fire, the song changed to a slow dance and Rachel was all over her. At least Max could slow dance, it was just stepping in a circle.

Even if she had to try really hard not to step on Rachel’s feet.

She couldn’t tear her gaze from Rachel’s eyes. They shimmered with amusement, affection and dare Max hope she saw adoration as well?

That was probably a bit much, but Rachel had this way of making you seem like the center of her world, and it melted Max’s insides in just the right way. She barely even noticed when Rachel went in for a kiss, but when their lips met, she gave herself over to it, shutting her eyes and keeping the rest of the world out while she focused on it.

It was only when someone nearby let out a whoop that her eyes snapped open and she could see a bunch of people surrounding them openly gawking.

Especially the guys, but Dana did give her a shout of “You go girl!”

Rachel pulled back, a wicked grin on her face. “I think that did the trick, let’s go find Chloe.”


End file.
